00:00Holding second place early in the event.
00:02Three weeks later, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all three entries retired, although the Jinta Gregory Carr led
00:09the field from the second lap until its first pit stop.
00:13After a series of disappointing results under John Weyer in 1964, the program was handed over to Carroll Shelby after
00:20the 1964 Nassau race.
00:22Shelby's team, renowned for their racing prowess, took on the challenge with determination.
00:27Thank you for joining us on this journey through the legendary history of the Ford GT40.
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00:48Share your thoughts and favorite moments about the GT40 in the comments below.
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00:56Shelby's first victory came on their maiden race with the Ford program, with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby taking a
01:02Shelby American entered Ford GT40 to victory in the Daytona 2000 km in February 1965.
01:09One month later, Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren came in second overall to the winning Chaparral in the sports class
01:16and first in the prototype class at the severing 12-hour race.
01:20Despite these successes, the rest of the 1965 season was a disappointment.
01:25The experience gained in 1964 and 1965 allowed the 7-litre MK2 to dominate the following year.
01:33In February 1966, the GT41 at Daytona, finishing first, second, and third in the first year Daytona was run in
01:41the 24-hour format.
01:43In March, at the 12 hours of Severing, GT40s again took all three top finishes.
01:49The pinnacle of Ford's racing efforts came in June and the 24 hours of Le Mans, where the GT40 achieved
01:56a historic 123 finish.
01:59The 1966 Le Mans finish was orchestrated to perfection but not without controversy.
02:04The No. 1 car of Ken Miles and Denny Hume held a four-lap lead over the No. 2 car
02:09of Bruce McLaren and Chris Eman.
02:11A pit stop for replacement brake rotors for the No. 1 car, due to an incorrect set being fitted earlier,
02:18narrowed the gap.
02:19Ford team officials decided to arrange a tie, with the McLaren Eman and Miles Hume cars crossing the line side
02:25-by-side.
02:26However, the geographical difference in starting positions meant that the McLaren Eman vehicle, which had started behind the Hume Miles
02:33car, would be declared the winner.
02:35The decision left Ken Miles deeply bitter, and tragically, he died two months later testing the Ford J-Car at
02:42Riverside Raceway.
02:43After Miles' fatal accident, attributed partly to the unproven aerodynamics and lack of a roll cage in the J-Car,
02:50the team embarked on a complete redesign.
03:01The MK4, with a MK2 engine but a different chassis and body, won the 1967 24 hours of Le Mans.
03:09However, the high speeds achieved prompted a rule change, limiting prototypes to three zero-litres from 1968 onwards.
03:17The 1968 rule changed limited prototypes to three zero-litre engines, making the GT40s future uncertain.
03:25However, existing sports cars like the GT40 and the Lola T70 were allowed with a maximum of five zero-litres
03:33if at least 50 cars had been built.
03:35John Weyer's team revised the four seven-litre engine, enlarging it to four nine-litres.
03:41The JWAMKI won the 1968 24 hours of Le Mans, defeating smaller three zero-litre prototypes.
03:50This result, combined with other wins, gave Ford an unexpected victory in the 1968 International Championship for makes.
03:58The Ford GT40 was born out of Ford's desire to beat Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans.
04:04The world's oldest active sports car endurance race held annually near Le Mans.
04:09Ferrari had dominated Le Mans for years, and Ford won to the piece of the glory.
04:14The GT40, which got its name from its height of 40 inches off the ground, was a powerful and fast
04:20car, but it was also notoriously difficult to drive.
04:23The first race between the Ford GT40 and Ferrari was at the 1964 24 hours of Le Mans.
04:31The race was a disaster for Ford, as all three of their GT40s retired with mechanical problems.
04:37However, Ford didn't give up.
04:39They made improvements to the car and came back to Le Mans in 1965.
04:44This time, the GT40s were more competitive, but they were still no match for the Ferraris.
04:49Finally, in 1966, Ford's persistence paid off.
04:54The GT40s dominated the race, with three cars finishing in the top four positions.
04:59It was a historic victory for Ford, and it marked the end of Ferrari's dominance at Le Mans.
05:05The Ford GT40 is a legendary car that helped to solidify Ford's reputation as a performance car manufacturer.
05:11It is a true icon of the racing world.
05:13The GT40s finest hour came in 1969 with the legendary chassis GT40 P1075, which had also won in 1968.
05:24At the 1969 24 hours of Le Mans, Jackie X and Jackie Oliver drove the car to victory, manually beating
05:32the Porsche 908 by just a few seconds.
05:35The combination of relaxed driving and strategic heroic spikes, a Le Mans rookie at the time, secured the win.
05:42This victory cemented the GT40s place in racing history.
05:46The Ford GT40 is more than just a racing car.
05:49It is a symbol of American perseverance and engineering excellence.
05:53From its inception in the early 1960s to its triumphant victories at Le Mans and beyond, the GT40 has left
06:00an enduring legacy in the world of motorsports.
06:03Its journey, marked by challenges, innovation, and unforgettable triumphs, continues to inspire racing enthusiasts and engineers alike.
06:12As we look back on the storied history of the Ford GT40, we celebrate not only a remarkable machine but
06:19also the spirit of competition and the pursuit of excellence that it embodies.
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